Pharmacy Haul - Apivita, Korres, Frezyderm & Avene.

Καλημέρα everybody! Πριν λίγες μέρες έκανα μια αγορά σ’ ένα ηλεκτρονικό φαρμακείο γιατί είχα ανάγκη από κάποια καινούργια skincare προϊόντα μιας και τους τελευταίους μήνες αντιμετωπίζω κάποια προβλήματα με το δέρμα μου που σχετίζονται με λιπαρότητα και σπυράκια. Και μιας που δεν έχω κάνει ένα haul post εδώ και αρκετό καιρό σκέφτηκα ότι τώρα είναι μια ωραία ευκαιρία να σας δείξω τι ακριβώς πήρα.

Sephora Haul.

Πρόσφατα έκανα μια επίσκεψη στα Sephora, είχαν αρκετά καλές εκπτώσεις και έτσι πήρα κάποια πραγματάκια που ήθελα εδώ και καιρό να δοκιμάσω, και κάποια άλλα που είναι staples εδώ και χρόνια και τα αγαπώ πολύ. Τι λέτε, να δούμε τι πήρα? 

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil Review

Καλημέρα! Είχα αρκετό καιρό να γράψω κριτική για κάποιο προϊόν, οπότε είπα "δεν κάνω ένα για το αγαπημένο μου λαδάκι καθαρισμού από τα The Body Shop?" Και ιδού, σε αυτό το post θα μάθετε ακριβώς γιατί έχω τόσο μεγάλη αδυναμία σε αυτό το cleansing oil και γιατί σίγουρα θα το αγοράσω ξανά!

Top 5 Face Masks.

Hello my lovelies! Today I'm going to talk to you about my top favorite face masks. I rarely do skincare posts and that's because I keep changing my skincare products quite often but when it comes to facial masks I'm loyal. Using a face mask it's not something that I do often, it depends on what skin problems I have at that period, such as oiliness, blemishes and dehydration. But there are times that I want to use a face mask on the days when I just want to pamper myself. All of the masks I'm showing in this post are from greek brands and to be honest I'm very proud of that, I think that greek brands have the most amazing face masks I've ever tried and the fact that they come in small sizes is even more awesome because I like to switch up the masks that I'm using and also they're travel friendly.

Collective Haul (The Body Shop, A-Derma, Vichy, Korres)

It's time for a haul post! As you can see I've got a lot of new skincare products to try out, because recently I run out of moisturizers and make up removers. I hauled a few stuff from The Body Shop, mostly because of their sales, and some other from french pharmacy brands. So let's see what I got.

Burt's Bees Sensitive Night Cream with Cotton Extract Review.

A few months ago I found a night moisturizer that I absolutely love, it's the Burt's Bees Sensitive Night Cream. In the past I've never used anything from Burt's Bees facial line so at first I hesitated whether it would work with my skintype or not, and also if it would be too heavy and cause me break outs, but it it turnt out to be a great moisturizer, so I decided to write a review about it!

Packaging

It comes in a glass jar, which is very heavy and in my opinion not practical at all, it's not travel friendly. It would be better if they'd replace it with a plastic one.

Price
Unfortunately Burt's Bees is a brand that is not available in Greece, so I purchased it online from Feelunique for 17 euros, which is quite an affordable price in my opinion. It contains 50g, and it lasted me for quite a few months because I only use it at night time.

 Texture

It has an opaque white color with a very lightweight texture, like a mousse, it blends quite easily onto the skin but it needs a bit of rubbing because it can leave white streaks if it's not blended properly, as you can see from the picture.

For my difficult skintype, which sometimes is combination and other times is very oily and dehydrated, this is a very good moisturizer. It helps a lot with the dry patches on my cheeks and around my mouth but in the same time it never made me super oily, well it can be a little shiny on my nose area but then again that is something that I expect from a night cream, so I don't mind. It never caused me break outs which is a huge plus for me since I'm very acne prone.
 The ingredients it contains are 99% natural, the main one is cotton extract which helps with minimising the effects of potential irritants such as harsh soaps or cleansers, and that's the main problem of my dehydrated skin. Here's what the brand says about this moisturizer:

- Softens and helps replenish skin's outer layer with Cotton Extract.
- Moisturises with Rice Extract.
- Helps calms skin with Aloe.
- Does not cause redness or irritation.
- Fragrance-free and hypo-allergenic.
- Allergy-tested and dermatologist-tested.

I couldn't agree more with all of the above! Whenever my skin had a reaction to the weather and became itchy and very dry this moisturizer helped a lot, it's very good for sensitive skins and for all skintypes, except maybe the very dry ones because I don't think this would be moisturizing enough for you.


Pros
 -It has a very lightweight "mousse" type of texture.

-It moisturizes the skin very well and it helps with dry patches.

-It's very gentle with sensitive skintypes, it helps with redness and itchyness.

-It's fragrance-free and hypo-allergenic.

- It's not heavy for combination and oily skintypes.


Cons
-It needs to be blended really well, otherwise it leaves white streaks on the face.

-It's not moisturizing enough for dry skintypes.



Rating: 9/10
Overall this is a great basic night moisturizer, it doesn't promise you anything more than a good hydration and that's exactly what it does. It's super gentle with sensitive skintypes, and if you have sensitive skin you know how hard is to find a moisturizer that helps with skin irritations such as ithyness, burning sensation, redness etc. I wanna try different night creams in the future but I would definitely repurchase it, it's my safe choice whenever my skin reacts badly.



 If any of you have tried the Burt's Bees Sensitive Night moisturizer let me know your opinion about it, I'm very curious because I haven't read that many reviews on it.

Frezyderm Moisturizing 24H Hydrating Cream Review.

I decided to start doing reviews of products that I love more frequently because it seems that I always forget to mention them, even though I include them in my monthly favourites I think they deserve a  seperate and more in depth review post! Frezyderm's moisturizer has been my HG moisturizer for almost six months now, so I think it was about time to write a review about it.

 Packaging

It comes in the most bizzare packaging for a moisturizer that I've ever seen before, it's a plastic "chemist" test tube that closes into a hard plastic tube with a pump, honestly it's so confusing. I have to say that the packaging is not one of my favourites, it's very heavy and not travel friendly at all, and I've had problems with the pump quite a few times. I understand the whole "pharmacy" look they want to give to their products but they could also consider if the packaging is practical or not for everyday use, I would prefer a simple tube packaging over the one they have right now.

Texture

They say not to judge a product from the packaging, and even though I really dislike the packaging I will have to agree with that, because the actual product is superb! It has a milky consistency, that absorbs into the skin easily. It doesn't leave an oily residue to my skin , I'm not so sure that you will like it if you have a very oily skintype, but if you have more of a combination to oily one it will suit you really well. I need to mention that it never broke me out, which is very important to me because I have a very acne prone skin and most moisturizers do tend to break me out.
It's also really good under make up, again not so good if you have very oily skin, but I prefer this moisturizer for under my make up, because I used to apply gel textured moisturizers underneath foundation and they never really helped with the dry patches on my face. It claims that it gives a 24H hydration, I don't think it does that, especially if you cleanse your face twice a day you will need to apply moisturizer also twice a day, but it definitely lasts for 12 hours. I noticed that it hydrates even better than my Burt's Bees Sensitive Night Cream, so in my opinion you can use this moisturizer for day and night with no problem!

Price 

Frezyderm is a greek pharmacy brand, that unfortunately you can only find in Greece, it retails for 23 euros in pharmacies and Hondos Center stores. But if you buy it through an online pharmacy you can find it with 25 or even 40% off.


Pros
- Perfect for combination skintypes, hydrates really well without leaving an oily residue, and absorbs quickly into the skin.

-It has a light and pleasant smell.

-Perfect for underneath the foundation, it helps with the dry patches.

-Never caused me any break outs, and I have acne prone skin.

Cons
-The main problem I have with this moisturizer is the packaging and the problematic pump. The packaging is way too complicated and heavy for no reason.

-The price. In my opinion the price is way too high for a simple pharmacy moisturizer, even though it's better than most of the pharmacy moisturizers that I've tried, it's still too high.



Rating: 9/10
Besides the two negative parts, the packaging and the price, this is an excellent moisturizer that I've purchased twice within 6 months and I will continue repurchasing it in the future. I like to try new skincare products all the time, but I'm happy that I finally found a moisturizer that I will always come back to.


Have you tried the Frezyderm Moisturizing 24H Hydrating Cream? Do you like it?
Let me know!

The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream Review

I think it was about time to review one of my HG face moisturizers, the Seaweed Mattifying Day cream from The Body Shop, it took me a while do it so I want to apollogize for the delay. It's funny because I took the pictures months ago, and now this jar is empty because I used it all, but for some reason I totally forgot to write this post. So let's start!

Packaging
As most of the Body Shop's moisturizers, it comes in a plastic jar, which is super lightweight and it's very travel friendly.

Price
In Greece it retails for 14 euros, I think the price is quite reasonable, it's only a few euros more expensive than a drugstore moisturizer.

Texture
It's a gel moisturizer, which absorbs very quickly into the skin. It's perfect for oily skintypes, and it's also great under any type of foundation, liquid and powder, I've tried it with both and it works amazingly good. It never broke me out, and it's very rare for me to find a moisturizer that doesn't break me out, the fact that I've purchased this one twice so far it says a lot! For a moisturizer that is targeted for oily skintypes I didn't expect that it would help with my dry areas around my cheekbones, but it does, not very well though, but it does help and I can tell that because when I'm wearing a long wearing foundation, it doesn't make my dry areas visible at all.  But when my skin acts weird, I like to alternate between this one at daytime for under foundation and a more thick moisturizer for the nightime. Something that I have to mention is the smell, I understand why some people may feel nauseous, it must be the seaweed extract, personally it doesn't bother me, but when I first used it I found the smell to be very off putting.

Pros
-Very lightweight and absorbs quickly into the skin.

-Perfect for under foundation and powder.

-It doesn't make my skin oily throught the day.

-Very good for acne prone skins, never broke me out.

-Reasonable price.


Cons
-The scent may be a little too much for some people.




Rating: 9/10
I'd give this moisturizer a 10/10 rating but because the smell can be off putting for some people, I decided to go with a 9, but overall this moisturizer is amazing! If you have oily/acne prone skin you have to try it!



Have you try the Body Shop's Seaweed Mattifying Day cream, did you like it?

Let me know!

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado Review

This is a review I've been meaning to do for a while and now I'm finally doing it. I'm using this eye cream since January and I think it's time to write my full opinion on this product.

Packaging

First of all the packaging, I just love the minimalist packaging. It comes in a white plastic jar, thank God because I hate glass jars, with the all the usefull information and directions written on the front. I find it very pretty, very pharmacy brand-like.

Ingredients

It contains:

-Avocado Oil which is known to be the most moisturizing of any fruit oil. Helps to restore the natural moisture of the skin.

-Beta-Carotene, which is a naturally delivered antioxidant, predominantly found in many orange/red vegetables such as carrots.

-Shea Butter. Protects skin from dehydration, restores skin's suppleness and improves the appearance of dry skin.

Texture

First of all the cream has a green tint, like an avocado, but once you blend it on the skin after a few minutes the tint dissapears. One thing I can tell about the texture of this eye cream, is that it's SUPER creamy, I haven't use any eye or face cream that creamy, and because of that you only need a tiny bit of this for your undereye area, and I mean a tiny amount, otherwise you'll end up a greasy mess and you don't want that trust me.

 Also it's not like any other traditional eye cream, it needs to be applied very carefully, you pat it on until it's fully blended into the skin. At first it feels a bit sticky but as you go on applying it the cream starts to emulsify, and become more watery. It needs about 15 to 20 minutes for my skin to fully absorb it, for that reason I don't like applying it under my concealer, I prefer using it mostly at night time. One thing I've learnt is that you have to be patient with this product.

Price

Here in Greece it costs 28 euros, and you can find it at Attica department stores and at selected Hondos Center stores.

Pros

-It's the perfect eye cream for those who suffer from dry undereye area, that happens to me mostly at wintertime. 

  

-Comparable to my HG eye cream, Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream, it gives a hydration that lasts for over 8 hours, while the Bobbi Brown one does not hydrate for that long.. I wake up in the moring after 9 hours of sleep and I can still feel the hydration on my skin.

-It gives a light cooling sensation on the skin.

 - I like the minimalist packaging, it's also very travel friendly.

-The price. Yes for me its price it's a plus because comparing the quality of this eye cream to other more expensive high end hydrating eye creams, it's definetely a winner.

Cons

- For those who have normal skin under the eyes it's too heavy. Mine it's not always dry so the times when it's normal I find it too thick.

- I don't like the way it applies into the skin, being sticky at first and then becomes watery.

- Too thick to be used under a concealer, at least for me. I'm sure for those who have dry or very dry undereye area won't have that problem.

Rating: 7/10 

Overall it's an amazing eye cream, especially for those who suffer from dryness, but still it cannot beat my beloved Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye cream.

Have you try this eye cream, did you like it? Let me know! 

Sophia

xoxo

La Roche Posay Hydraphase Intense Serum Review

For over a month I've been using this new hydrating serum from La Roche Posay and I wanted to share my review with you guys.

Packaging

It comes in a slim glass bottle with a pump, I just love how sleek it is, in my opinion it has better packaging than many high end serums I've seen. The only problem is that the glass bottle makes it heavy to carry it with me and it's not so travel friendly, but hey I can live with that.

Ingredients

The serum is a concentrated formula with highly performant hydrating ingredients:

-Hyaluronic Acid Fragments: to immediately infuse and retain water in the skin for optimal hydration

-Arginine + Serine: naturally present in the epidermis, they capture water so that the perfect NMF ( Natural Moisturizing Factor) balance is restored

-Highly concentration of La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water, a natural anti-oxidant that is soothing and anti-irritating.

Also it's paraben-free, but I noticed that the third listed ingredient is alcohol, and that confuses me a little since it's a hydrating serum targeted for sensitive and dehydrated skintypes, but I haven't notice any irritations on my skin, but I don't know if that would be OK for super sensitive skins.

Texture

It has a clear gel texture, it's not too watery as most serums are, it's like a gel moisturizer. When I apply it on my face it melts in, it's not greasy at all, and it has a slight cooling sensation, propably because of the alcohol it contains. But because I'm oily, it can be a little greasy after 2 hours around my nose and chin area. 

You are supposed to apply it moring and/or evening under your skincare, but for my oily skintype that would be too much so I apply it on it's own, mostly at nightime. I started using it right after I came back from my vacation and my skin was a little dehydrated from the sun, I have to say it helped my skin a lot within only a few days.

Price

It contains 30ml of product and here in Greece it retails for 25 euros. You can find it in pharmacies.

 

Pros

-I don't why but I was never a serum person, maybe because I'm lazy and I just want to put a moisturizer and be done with it. But a hydrating serum for me it can do the job on it's own, because I have oily skin, I can just use a hydrating serum without using a seperate moisturizer after.  So that's a plus!

-After one month of use, it didn't cause me any break outs, and I'm very acne prone, so I think that says a lot!

-It's lightweight, and it can be used under make up.

-Even though I haven't tested it on more cold climate, I think it will be perfect for fall and winter time when my skin dehydrates the most.

 

Cons

-Even if the company claims that it absorbs fast into the skin, it leaves my face sticky for at least 5 to 10 minutes, so I would suggest first wait a few minutes before applying any foundation on.

-It contains alcohol, so for those who are super sensitive to alcohol, be careful.

-For some people the price may not be that cheap, and I agree, but it costs something between a lower end brand and a high end one.

Overall Rating: 8/10

Sophia

xoxo

* I would like to thank assetOgilvy who sent me the product on behalf of L'oreal Cosmetique Active.

* This review is my genuine honest opinion about the product.